Gravity type, retractable writing instrument



April 27, 1954 c. o. SCHRADER GRAVITY TYPE, RETRACTABLE WRITING INSTRUMENT Filed- April 15, 1953 LAQENCE 0. 50/240152,

I INVENTOR.

BY ATTORNEY- Patented Apr. 27, 1954 GRAVITY TYPE, RETRACTABLE WRITING INSTRUMENT Clarence 0. Schrader, Los Angeles, Calif., as-

signor to Frawley Corporation, Culver City, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 13, 1953, Serial No. 348,187

3 Claims.

This invention relates towriting instruments and is particularly directed to writing instruments of the retractable type, that is, of the type wherein the writing point may be caused to project from the case or be retracted within the case under the selective operation of the operator. The invention is particularly directed to retractable writing instruments which employ a ballpointed writing element, such elements being generally attached to a cylindrical or tubular cartridge containing the writing fluid.

Generally speaking, retractable-type writing instruments have been disclosed heretofore, as for example, in prior United States Patents No. 346,014, No. 420,033, No, 1,701,263, No. 2,491,082 and No. 2,428,85 l. The prior constructions disclosed in these prior patents were rather complicated and to the best of my knowledge such constructions have not been used nor have such writing instruments gone into general use, prob ably by reason of the complexity of the construction employed and the cost of manufacture. However, it is desirable to have an inexpensive retractable-type writing instrument, particularly of the ball-point type, since a retractable-type instrument need not be provided with a separate protective cap to prevent the ink from soiling the garments of the user or wearer of such device.

The present invention relates to a retractabletype of writing instrument which employs a minimum number of parts and a novel mode of operation, thereby permitting a satisfactory, efiicient instrument to be manufactured inexpensively.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to disclose and provide a novel construction for retractable-type writing instruments, particularly of the ball-point type.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide a simple construction in which the cartridge or writing element itself is frictionally held in either retracted or extended positions.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a retractable type of writing instrument in which gravity assists in properly positioning the writing cartridge with respect to the case.

These and other objects, uses and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following illustrative examples. For purposes of illustration, reference will be had to the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the upper portion of a writing instrument embodying the present invention, showing the writing element in retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section throu h the device showing the writing element in extended position.

Fig. 3 illustrates one position in which the device may be held in order to retract the cartridge.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken along the plane IVIV in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through a modified form of device, the section being taken through a zone similarly located to that of plane IVIV.

The writing instrument illustrated in the drawings consists of a housing or case having the lower portion I provided with a downwardly directed port 2 adapted to receive the writing tip of a writing element and an upper case portion 3 whichmay include an outer shell 4 and an inner member or positioning element 5. The shell 4 may be fitted or cemented onto the positioning element and the positioning element may be threadedly connected to the lower case portion, as illustrated in Fig.1.

Within the housing or case of the device there is a writing element consisting of the cartridge 6 (containing a writing fiuid) provided with a lower extension or writing tip'l terminating in a freely rotatable ball point. The cartridge 6 may have an open end 8. The positioning element 5 is provided with a longitudinally extending, upper bore l5 and a lower bore 16 of slightly larger diameter and in communication with the upper bore. A downwardly directed stop shoulder I1 is thus formed between the upper and lower bores in the positioning element, In addition, and for purposes of reducing weight and for purposes of economy, the lowermost portion of the positioning'l'ement may be hollow and include the bore 18. 3 7

A longitudinally extending groove is formed in the wallof the bores l5 and I6, said groove being common to both bores and having a downwardly and outwardly inclined guiding surface. Such groove, as best illustrated in Fig. 4, may have the side walls 20 and 2| and an inclined bottom 22. The walls 20 and 2| may be spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the bore I5 and the bottom or surface 22 is downwardly and out wardly inclined from the upper end ll) of the positioning element 5.

An axially movable member is provided for selectively holding the writing element 6 in desired position. Such axially movable member may include an upper portion 25 extending-upwardly through the port 24 formed in the shell 4. It may also include a limit shoulder 26 adapted to prevent outward movement of the element from the ease or shell, said limit shoulder being adapted to engage the inner surface of the case adjacent the port 24. The axially movable memher is connected to (or may be integral with) a wedge-shaped tonguei'l slidably received within the groove formed in the positioning element, the tongue 21 including an inclined surface 28 which is complementary to the inclined surface or bottom 22 of the groove, and an inner surface or face 29.

A light spring 35 may be positioned between the upper surface IQ of the positioningelement and the lower surface of the limit shoulder 26 so as to normally urge the axially movable member and tongue 2'! upwardly. It will be evident that when the extension or push-button 25 .is depressed, the movable element will move downwardly along inclined surfaces 22 and 28, the inner surface 25 maintaining a position substan tially parallel to the opposing wall of the bore l5. When the writing instrument is in a retracted position, the upper end of the cartridge 6 extends into the bore 65 and is frictionally held therein between the wall of the bore iii and the inner surface 29 of the tongue 2?, since such tongue is urged upwardly by the spring 30. With the instrument held in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to depress the extension 25 (thereby causing the tongue 2'! to move downwardly along the inclined bottom 22 of the groove), in order to release the cartridge 6, permitting such cartridge to fall by gravity onto its seat formed around the writing port 2 of the case, whereupon the upper end of the cartridge will find itself in the lower bore Hi and slightly below the stop shoulder ll. By removing pressure from the projecting portion 25 of the axially movable member, the tongue 21 isperniitted to rise and grasp the end of the cartridge 6 against the wall of the lower bore it. As soon as writing pressure is applied to the writing element, the upper end 8 of the cartridge 6 will seat itself against the stop shoulder I? and be restrained against further retraction. The instrument, in its extended or projected writing position, is i1lustratedin Fig. 2.

In order to retract the writing tip it is only necessary to partly or completely invert the entire device into a position such as is illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein the writing point is upwardly directed, and simultaneously apply pressure to the button 25, whereupon the frictional hold on the inner end of the cartridge 6 is relaxed and such cartridge is permitted to fall into the upper bore i of positioning element-5. Uponremoving the pressure from the plunger or button .125, such plunger will protrude from port A L-tongue 2'! will move toward such port and again surface 29 will grasp the upper end portion of the cartridge 8 against the wall of the bore [5, thereby holding the cartridge in retracted position until it is needed.

It is to be understood that the guiding inclined surfaces which guide the tongue need not be formed in the bottom of-thegroove, but instead may take the form of inclined fins or lugs formed in the sides of the tongue, such fins or lugs cooperating with grooves formed in the side walls of the groove. Such modification isillustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the tongue 21 is provided with laterally extending wings, such as 35 and 36, slidably fitting into complementary inclined grooves formed in the walls of the main groove fashioned in the positioning element 5.

The simplicity and ease of manufacture of the device enhances its utility and durability. It is to be understood that the illustrated forms are exemplary only, and that numerous changes and modifications may be made.

l'claim:

l. A gravity-actuated, frictionally held, cartridge-type writing instrument, including a cartridge provided with a ball-pointed writing tip, comprising: a hollow upper case portion provided with a port in its upper end; a lower case portion provided'with a bottom port through which the writing tip 'of a cartridge may selectively extend; a positioning element within the upper caseportion, 'saidpositioning element having an upper, axial bore adapted to receive the end of the cartridge, a lower, larger bore in communication with the upper bore, a downwardly directed stop shoulder between said upper and loweribores, and a longitudinally extending groove formed in the wall of said bores, said groove having a downwardly and outwardly inclined guiding surface; an axially movable member having an upper portion extending through the port in the upper case, a limit shoulder adapted to engage the inner surface of the case adjacent the port, and a wedge-shaped tongue provided with an inclined surface adapted to cooperate with the guiding surface of the groove and another surface adapted to remain substantially parallel to the opposing wall of the bore during longitudinal motion of the tongue in said groove, and spring means for biasing said member and its tongue toward the port in the upper case.

2. A gravity-actuated, frictionally held, cartridge-type writing instrument, including a cartridge provided with a ball-pointed writing tip, comprising: a hollow upper case portion; a lower case portion provided with a bottom port through which the writing tip of a cartridge may selectively extend; a positioning element within the upper case portion, said positioning element having an upper, axial bore adapted to receive the end of the cartridge, a lower, larger bore in communication with the upper bore, a downwardly directed stop shoulder between said upper and lower bores, said shoulder being adapted to abut the end of a cartridge when its tip is in extended,

writing position, and a longitudinally extending groove formed in the wall of said bores, said groove having a downwardly and outwardly inclined guiding surface; a wedge-shaped tongue mounted for sliding movement along said inclined guiding surface of the groove, said tongue having a face adapted to grasp the end portion of a cartridge against-a wall of said bores; means urging said tongue into cartridge-grasping position; and an axially movable member for moving said tongue to release its grasp on a cartridge.

3. In a writing instrument including a, housing and a cartridge movably contained therein, said cartridge having an upper, ink-containing portion and a lower writing tip, the provision of a positioning element in the housing, said positioning element having an upper axial bore adapted to receive the end of a cartridge, a lower larger bore in communication therewith, a downwardly directed stop shoulder between said bores, said shoulder being adapted to abut the end of a cartridge when its tip is in extended, writing position, and a groove in the wall of said bores, a grasping member slid-ably mounted in said groove, .means in said groove and cooperating with said member for guiding the latter along a path inclined to the axis of said bores, said member having a face adapted to contact and hold the end portion of a cartridge against a wall of said bores; means urging said member into cartridge-grasping position; and a manually movable member for moving said grasping member to release its contact with a cartridge.

References Cited in the file of this patent Number 5 2,587,935

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

